I have a love-hate relationship with ritual. I usually love the first couple of times through something, but then I end up hating too much repetition. How many times will I sing “Merry Month of May” in my life? I’ve already lost track, and we have...

It used to be that we’d fly down to Reno to visit my mom and dad for Easter. After my dad died and she moved to Carson City, we started visiting her there. We usually lucked out in that my children’s spring break lined up well with my niece’s spring...

Making a public statement of resolutions takes a certain amount of backbone. In 2010, a good friend of mine publicly posted hers for a certain amount of accountability. She posted semi-regular updates on her progress in her notes on Facebook, and I followed them with...

I cringe whenever I hear someone say they are “Proud to be an American.” Pride is the feeling of satisfaction with meeting personal goals, usually set by oneself. Being born on American soil or to American parents is luck. There is nothing magical or...